New study blames meat for unidentified allergic reactions

A new study suggests that a carbohydrate in meat called alpha-gel may be the unrecognised cause of recurring severe allergic reactions in some patients.

Previous research indicates that people who have IgE (immunoglobulin E) to alpha-gal report experience anaphylaxis or hives three to six hours after consuming mammalian meat. Therefore a team of investigators decided to explore how many cases of anaphylaxis of unknown cause may be triggered by eating meat.

The study included 60 people in Australia and the US who experienced the recurrent severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis with no known cause. Allergy tests revealed that 25 of the 60 patients had positive responses to alpha-gal. A positive response was considered a level of greater than 1.0 international units per millilitre of IgE.

The IgE antibody is produced in response to a carbohydrate in meat and dairy products known as alpha-galactose, and that in turn led to unexplained allergic reactions after meat consumption.

The tests did not identify any other allergens that would explain the cause of anaphylaxis in the 25 patients who were positive for alpha-gal or in the other 35 patients, the study said.